Two Mamluk Egyptian bags

This is an embroidered drawstring bag from between the 13th-16th centuries. It is tabby woven linen embroidered with pink, green, blue, yellow and ochre silk in an eyelet (or possibly a double faggot) stitch. The size of the bag is 15.8 cm by 13.5 cm. It is in the Museum of Fine Arts.

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This is also a round embroidered bag made between the 13th & 16th century. It is tabby woven linen embroidered with blue and brown silk in chain and darning stitches (or possibly another type of stitch). This bag has a linen tassel attached with three knots at the end of the drawstring. The bag is in the Museum of Fine Arts.

Iranian and Afghani textiles

This textile is split stitched silk on plain weave, made in the 7th century in either Iran, Afghanistan or China. Detail of the boar’s head roundel- The textile is 56cm by 48cm. The textile has boars heads and peacocks embroidered on it. The textile is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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This textile is from the 14th century. It is cotton embroidered with birds, floral scrolls and calligraphy in brown thread. It has a height of 130cm and is 47cm wide at the waist. It is in the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah Museum, but the site doesn’t have much more information.

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This chemise is also 14th century, from Afghanistan. It is also plain weave cotton, embroidered in black cotton. The design of the embroidery are rosettes, with an indigo band around the neck. It was sold at Christies for £11,950 ($17,292).

A child’s dress from the 7th-9th century

This is a child’s dress, found in Akhmim, Egypt. Thought to have been made between the 7th and 9th centuries. The reverse-
The dress is made from madder dyed plain-woven wool, with applied woven border made from blue and red wool with undyed linen. The neckline is a keyhole, but the straight part runs along the shoulder. It is closed tight by a fabric button. The hems seem to have been done in double running stitch. The dress is 52.1 cm high and 64.9 cm wide. It is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Some Coptic shawls

This shawl is from between the 3rd and 4th century C.E. The Egyptian shawl is plain weave linen, with a tapestry weave decoration sewn on. The size of the shawl is 70 cm by 45 cm. It is currently in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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This shawl has been tapestry woven with wool and linen between the 8th and 9th century. It is 21.9 cm by 33 cm. It is also has Coptic script on it, as opposed to tiraz bands with Arabic. It is currently in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Also made between the 8th and 9th century, this particular shawl is wool, tapestry woven with linen decorations. There is also Coptic script. It is 33 cm high by 79.4 cm wide. It is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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This shawl is much like the others- wool and linen tapestry woven with Coptic script. However by this stage there were also Arabic tiraz becoming the fashion from the Abbasid and Fatimid Empires. The shawl is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A 12th-14th century Egyptian tunic

This tunic was thought to have been made between 1100-1399 C.E. which covers the Fatimid and Ayyubid rulers of Egypt. The shirt is embroidered linen. Unfortunately there is no other information on the Victoria & Albert Museum website. The item is currently not being shown. Scrolling in it is possible to see that the motifs look like fish and “lollywrappers”. Both of those motifs look to be done in pattern darning with a little running stitch highlighting the seams.

The construction of the shirt is the same as the shirt previously mentioned in the post “An Egyptian Child’s tunic from the Mamluk Period”. That shirt can be found in the Ashmolean Museum.

Different but similar embroideries

This is thought to be a fragment of a garment, made between the 13th and 14th century in al -A’zam in Upper Egypt. At this time the rulers would have been Mamluk. This is a linen even weave, with silk blackwork, pulled thread and openwork. The openwork is kloster blocks with doves’ eye stitch. The detail- The pattern has been charted by Mathilde Eschenbach which she also used in a project. The textile is in the Victoria & Albert Museum.

This embroidery is very similar to the previous textile with some small differences- This textile is unfortunately in pieces, but the design is on linen out of blue and yellow silk. There is blackwork, pulled thread and openwork like the first textile but this embroidery also has silk satin stitching. The pattern is also repeated like the first textile, which can be seen in this piece- The main piece is 17.3 x 11 cm and can be found in the Ashmolean. The other pieces can be found in the Ashmolean Museum.

5th century Coptic tunic

This tunic is thought to have been made in the 5th century, in Egypt. The tunic is made of linen (in plain weave), with wool woven in tapestry woven designs. The tunic is 183 cm high by 135 cm wide. The tunic is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. For more details on Coptic tunics, see previous post Coptic embroidery and garb.

7th century leggings

These pants were found in the city of Antinoe, in a Coptic tomb. Created in the 7th century, they are dyed wool tapestry, made in a single piece. This style of weaving is a Coptic skill. These highly decorated leggings are unusual from Coptic garb, as they are decorated with archers and a Persian king. This half is currently in the Louvre. This half is in the Musée des Tissus.

Early period Coptic items

This is a Coptic statue, thought to have been made between 600-700 C.E. It is 115cm tall and 49 cm wide. It is currently in the Carmentis On-line Museum. This textile was made earlier than the statue, possibly around 500 C.E. It is 27.5 cm by 17.2cm but there is very little information on the website. It is also in the Carmentis On-line Museum. This textile is 5th century but there is also very little information on the Carmentis On-line Museum. This textile is obviously tapestry woven, possibly using these- (also in the Carmentis On-line Museum) and this- which is another 5th century item- a wooden spindle. Also in the Carmentis On-line Museum.

8th century Persian clothes

This caftan is from the 8th century, from the Caucasus/Persia region. It is 142.2 cm, made from silk, linen and fur. The caftan has been semi-reconstructed, as it was only preserved in a small part (from the hem to the neck). The main body was made of fine plain-weave linen, with lambskin as a lining. The decorative strip is of compound twill-woven silk, in stylized rosettes in dark blue, yellow, red, and white on a dark brown ground (much faded). There are slits in the caftan at sides which would have made it easier to ride. The caftan is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This woman’s tunic is also linen with silk decorative cuffs. The dimensions are 121.92 x 180.34 cm. The tunic is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This is a collar of a caftan, made from silk. The measurements are 1.27cm wide and 57.79 cm long. There is very little information on the collar, but it looks like a tapestry weaving. The item is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These leggings are made of linen (feet section) and silk (leg section). There is the same stylized roundels as the above caftan. The leggings are 80.01 cm long. It is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These were made of leather, but no animal origin has been given. They are 17.15 x 14.61 cm. The gloves are currently in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Recommended reading
A Man’s Caftan and Leggings from the North Caucasus of the Eighth to Tenth Century: A Genealogical Study by Elfriede R. Knauer. JStor article.
A Man’s Caftan and Leggings from the North Caucasus of the Eighth to Tenth Century: A Conservator’s Report by Nobuko Kajitani. JStor article.